LONDON, CMC – Gareth Breese played a crucial role in a lower order revival for Durham while former West Indies vice-captain Brendan Nash failed with the bat for Kent, on the opening day of the final series of matches in the English County Championship.
Playing at Edgbaston, Durham were dismissed for a disappointing 201 after choosing to bat first against Warwickshire. At one stage, they were reeling at 78 for six until Breese, who struck 26, and Ryan Pringle came together to rally the lower order in an important 43-run, seventh-wicket stand.
The right-handed Breese, a former Jamaica and West Indies player, faced 102 balls and batted nearly 2-1/4 hours, striking two fours. Pringle, who top-scored with an unbeaten 63, played freely to count ten fours off just 98 balls.
Breese, in his final four-day appearance for Durham after gaining a surprise call-up for the encounter, was finally undone by one from seamer Boyd Rankin (2-41) that bounced awkwardly, and was taken in the cordon following a deflection off wicketkeeper Tim Ambrose.
The 38-year-old Breese leaves Durham at the end of the season following a ten-year career with the county.
Michael Richardson struck 42 but was one of five wickets for stand-out left-arm seamer Keith Barker.
Warwickshire were making a strong reply at the close, ending on 77 for one.
At St Lawrence Ground in Canterbury, Nash managed just 15 as Kent reached 83 for four in response to Gloucestershire’s 179 all out.
The left-handed Nash, who played first class cricket for Jamaica, has scored over 800 first class runs for Kent this season.
